brushes oc<?urred at points along tlife front. It soon became evident that the first German blow would fall on the Mons salient. At 8 a,m. German infantry advanced in this quarter, violently assailed Nimy bridge, and developed a turning move* meat against the British right. Soon after midday a very large forceofGermangunswasinaction. The9thGermancorpsbegan to force back the light of the British 2nd corps, east of Mons; and Smith-Dorrien, commanding that corps, withdrew from the canal loop, blowing up the bridges over the canal. At other points along the canal the Germans attacked in force, but suFered heavily. These earliest attacks were made in mass formation, a method which the Germans found immensely costly against British rapid fire, and later abandoned for more open formations.
As the day progressed and von Kluck's army was bringing to completion a wheeling movement to the south*east, the attack graduallydevelopedinawesterlydirectionalongthecanal. Th<4 German 3rd corps came into action about the bridge of Jemappesr twomilesfromMons. Attacksweremadeui>onadvancedparties holding the bridge heads, but the resistance was so stubborn that, though they effected appreciable advances, the Germans suffered severelosses. However,bytheearlyafternoontheirattackhad spread to a point seven miles north-east of Mons.